Quick Facts
Hero of Two Worlds. Red-shirted revolutionary who unified Italy with a thousand volunteers.
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Life Journey
Giuseppe Garibaldi was born to Domenico Garibaldi and Rosa Raimondo in Nice, which was under French control but later returned to Sardinia. His family had a seafaring tradition.
Garibaldi starts his maritime apprenticeship, learning navigation and seamanship. This early exposure to the sea would shape his future as a skilled sailor and naval commander.
Garibaldi meets Giuseppe Mazzini and joins the Young Italy movement, a revolutionary organization dedicated to the unification and independence of Italy from Austrian domination.
Garibaldi takes part in a failed insurrection in Piedmont, organized by Mazzini's Young Italy. He escapes to France and is sentenced to death in absentia.
Fleeing persecution, Garibaldi emigrates to Brazil, where he continues his revolutionary activities. He becomes involved in the struggle for the Republic of Rio Grande do Sul against Brazil.
Garibaldi marries Anita Riviera, a Brazilian woman who becomes his companion and supports him in many of his military campaigns. They have four children together.
Garibaldi forms the Italian Legion to fight in the Uruguayan Civil War. The legion gains fame for its bravery and strategic acumen, bolstering Garibaldi's reputation as a military leader.
Garibaldi returns to Italy during the Revolutions of 1848, joining the fight for Italian independence and unification. He leads volunteer forces in battles against the Austrians and papal troops.
Garibaldi commands the defense of Rome against French forces supporting the Pope. Despite heroic efforts, the city falls, and he leads a daring retreat through central Italy.
Garibaldi launches the Expedition of the Thousand, a campaign to liberate Sicily and southern Italy from Bourbon rule. The Red Shirts, his volunteer army, achieve significant victories.
King Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia is proclaimed the first King of Italy, marking the formal unification of the country. Garibaldi plays a crucial role in this historic achievement.
Giuseppe Garibaldi dies on Caprera Island, where he had retired after his military campaigns. His legacy as a hero of Italian unification endures, and he is mourned across the nation.